A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzabar

A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzibar... Now what is between? For the world wide classical era philatelist and stamp collector, a country specific philatelic survey is offered by the blog author, Jim Jackson, with two albums: Big Blue, aka Scott International Part 1 (checklists available), and Deep Blue, aka William Steiner's Stamp Album Web PDF pages. In addition, "Bud" offers commentary and a look at his completely filled Big Blue. Interested? So into the Blues...

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Karelia and the "Bear" Forgeries of 1922

Karelia 1922 Scott 13 15m green & carmine "Bear"; Genuine

Quick History
Between November 6, 1921 and March 21, 1922, a rebellion was launched by disaffected Karelians against the Russian Soviets. Why did it occur, and what was the result?

This post will look at the background history of the East Karelian Uprising 1921-22, and the very interesting "Bear" stamp set- both genuine and forgery- that was issued.

Karelian Landscape

"East Karelia", in Russia, is located contiguous with the Finnish border, and appears to share the Finnish landscape.

The photo recalls very much northern Minnesota, with the Canadian Boreal Forest sweeping through the boundary waters down to Lake Superior. My childhood home, many Finnish immigrants had settled there, bringing with them the outdoor sauna. Memories.

Finland and Russian Karelia: Uhtua (Kalevala) & Suomussalmi circled

The conflict, from a philatelic point of view, is found in Uhtua (Finnish spelling), now Kalevala (Russian spelling). There the rebels set up a Post Office, and the Karelian "Bear" stamps were postmarked from January 31 to February 3; although postmarks can be found for February 4 & 5 also. The Red Army was closing in, however, and the Postal Service was withdrawn across the Finnish border to Suomussalmi, where the stamps apparently remained valid until February 16, 1922.

But why would the Karelians and the Finnish feel kinship?

The Karelian Language and Finnish are close dialects

The Karelians are close cousins of the Finnish, as the language dialects are related. Culture is intertwined with language, and the Karelians wished to maintain their language/culture in the face of an increasing Russian Soviet presence.

Treaty of Tartu and the Russian-Finnish border

Finland and Russia had settled their border in 1920, each gaining/ losing a bit with the Treaty of Tartu (Estonia). A Karelian portion (green) was given back to Russia, while Petsamo (red) became Finnish. The border would revert to the old border between the Grand Duchy of Finland and Imperial Russia.

But after a year of Soviet rule where promises of East Karelian cultural autonomy were ignored, the East Karelian separatist movement was born

Karelians and Finnish volunteers fighting side by side

The East Karelians numbered 2,500, augmented by 550 Finnish volunteers. The Red Army in the area was 13,000 strong. Recall, that Leon Trotsky was overall commander of the Red Army.

The East Karelians were hopeful that Finland would come to their aid, but Finland did not-officially. Casualties were 50 killed, 150 wounded for the Karelians, and 350 killed, 1,000 wounded for the Red Army.

The uprising went well initially, and then later- not so much. By January, 1922, the Red Army had retaken Porajarvi and Repola, the green Karelian territory on the map above.

30,000 East Karelian refugees escaped over the Finnish border.

As one can imagine, the war soured relations between Russia and Finland. But by June 1, 1922, an agreement was reached between Soviet Russia and Finland reaffirming the Treaty of Tartu and the borders between the two nations.

Modern Road Map of Russian Karelia

Kalevala (Uhtua) - (circled)

Suomussalmi in Finland ( Location X-ed)

The rebellion received international attention, and, naturally, was accompanied by what any self respecting newly minted country would do- issue stamps. ;-) The issue was quite popular, and, soon caught the attention of N. Imperato of Genoa, an experienced and skilled forger of stamps. More about that soon.

1922 Karelia Scott 1 5p dark gray "Bear"; Genuine

Into the Deep Blue

The Scott Classic specialized catalogue has, for Karelia, the 1922 Scott 1-15 stamp issue. Nothing more. The CV is >$10 for each stamp unused. Scott also states that "Counterfeits abound".

For this issue we will...

* Examine the design

* Note the characteristics of the genuine stamp

* Note the characteristics of the forgery

* Compare and contrast genuine specimens and forgeries

A closer look at the stamps and issues

100 Pennia = 1 Markka

1922 Karelia Scott 2 10p light blue "Bear"; Genuine

The design shows the national coat of arms of the newly minted state of Karelia. An enraged bear is pictured, having just broken his chains, holding a blade called a billhook over his head, ready for any action.

Actually, the bear looks rather comical, and has been described by Varro Tyler (Focus on Forgeries 2nd edition 2000) and others as a "Dancing Bear, standing on a bicycle chain, swinging a golf club over his head". ;-)

The northern lights are represented by four zigzag lines over the bear.

The lower denominations had a issue total of 20,000, while the higher denominations had a run of 15,000.

1922 Scott 4 25p yellow brown "Bear"; Genuine

The 5p -75p denominations (seven stamps) are a one color design, while the 1m - 25m denominations (eight stamps) are slightly different in design, and are bi-colored.

Perforations for the 20p, 50p 1m, 5m, and 15m are 11 3/4.

Perforations for the 10p, 75p, 3m, and 20m are 11 1/4.

Perforations for the 5p, 25p, 2m, and 25m are more common 11 3/4, less common 11 1/4.

Perforations for the 10m are more common 11 1/4, less common 11 3/4.

Note: The Forgery is always 11 1/4 for all denominations. This would make it especially easy to check for a forgery with the 20p, 50p, 1m, 5m, and 15m denominations.

Now let's take a closer look at the genuine 5p - 75p design stamp...

1922 Scott 5 40p magenta "Bear": Genuine

Characteristics of a 5p - 75p genuine stamp....

• The bottom of the "J" in "Karjala" finishes complete, that is slightly upturned, or at least horizontally elongated. Varro Tyler, in his book "Focus on Forgeries", 2nd edition, 2000, makes this sign a diagnostic point. Others suggest a more complete evaluation of the stamp is necessary.

• The third chain on the left is not a complete circle- where the bear"s paw (foot) obscures the right side of the chain link. This sign is only seen for the 5p - 75p denomination stamps.

• The Northern Lights (zigzag lines) are tall and prominent.

• Facial features (Here two eyes) are usually present.

• A string of white dots or beads are seen between the front legs (arms) of the bear.

These signs should be enough to determine if the stamp is genuine.

1922 Scott 11 5m red lilac & gray "Bear"; Genuine

Now let's look at the 1m - 25m denominations (eight stamps). Obviously it is bi-colored.

And the numeral script appearance for any given denomination is always the same.

1922 Scott 14 20m rose & green "Bear"; Genuine

The characteristics of the 1m - 25m design stamp...

• The bottom of the "J" in "Karjala" finishes complete, that is slightly upturned, or at least horizontally elongated.
• The Northern Lights (zigzag lines) are tall and prominent.
• Facial features (Here two eyes) are usually present. (Often, the bears's mouth (white space) is also more prominent in the 1m - 25m denominations.)
• A string of white dots or beads are seen between the front legs (arms) of the bear.

Note the third chain link on the left side is now complete- different than the 5p - 75p stamps.

Now, let's look at the forgeries....

There is actually only one known ( or, at least prominent) forgery, but it is quite common. As mentioned, it is thought to be by N. Imperato of Genoa, Italy.

If the name is familiar, it is because we have featured two other stamp issues where he is the forger.

The forgeries are found for all 15 denominations, and differ somewhat in color with the originals. The perforation is always 11 1/4. The paper tends to be whiter. The margins tend to be wider.

Now, let's take a closer look.....

1922 Karelia Scott 7 75p orange yellow "Bear"; Forgery

The characteristics of the 5p - 75p denomination forgeries are...

• The bottom of the "J" in "Karjala" is short and truncated. The stroke tends not to reach the horizontal.
• The third chain on the left is a complete circle.
• The Northern Lights (zigzag lines) are short and broken.
• Facial features tend not to be prominent.
• A wide white streak- or two wider white strokes- are seen between the front legs (arms) of the bear.

Remember the " left third chain link" sign is only helpful for the 5p - 75p denominations.

1922 Karelia Scott 12 10m light brown & gray "Bear"; Forgery

The 5m- 25m forgery design, other than being bi-colored, is the same as the 5p -25p design.

But let's take a closer look...

1922 Karelia Scott 10 3m light blue & gray "Bear"; Forgery

The characteristics of the 5m - 25m denomination forgeries are...

• The bottom of the "J" in "Karjala" is short and truncated. The stroke tends not to reach the horizontal.
• The Northern Lights (zigzag lines) are short and broken.
• Facial features tend not to be prominent.
• A wide white streak- or two wider white strokes- are seen between the front legs (arms) of the bear.

These are the same signs as for the 5p - 75p denominations. ( In addition, the left third chain link sign is used for the 5p - 75p denominations.)

1941 Karelia Scott N8 50p bright yellow green

Just out of the 1940 year end scope of this blog, there are other "Karelia" stamps. During the Finnish "Continuation War" with Russia, Finland occupied part of East Karelia in 1941. An example is shown above.

A Gallery of Genuine/Forgery Comparisons

I need to acknowledge two resources - especially in this section- that were instrumental in developing this post....

• Varro Tyler "Focus on Forgeries" 2nd edition 2000...

It was the entry in Tyler's book that created the initial interest for me in the Karelia's "Bears".

I came across Jay Smith's "Karelia: 1922 Forgeries and Genuine Stamps" site during the course of developing this post. He shows all the genuine and forgery specimens for the "Bear" issue. A great resource!

Of interest, his color stamp scans do not match mine in color hue in many cases. The scans (His and/or mine) could be the reason. Or, in fact, there may be a real difference in color hues for this series. I did check my color scans against the stamp color I perceive from my collection of "Bears", and they do seem to agree, for what it is worth.

The following Gallery will compare directly six genuine and forgery stamps in the collection.

Scott 6 50p gray green

Genuine- Forgery

The "J" sign, the "third left chain link" sign, the "northern lights" sign, the "facial feature" sign, and the "white dots/streaks-front "arms" " sign are all present.

In addition, the color is lighter for the forgery, the bottom portion of the "5" in the numeral is longer in the forgery, and the shading line in the billhook is thickened in the genuine.

The genuine is 11 3/4, while the forgery is 11 1/4 perforation. The margins are wider in the forgery.

Scott 7 75p orange yellow

Genuine- Forgery

The "J" sign, the "third left chain link" sign, the "northern lights" sign, the "facial feature" sign, and the "white dots/streaks-front "arms" " sign are all present.

In addition, the color is lighter for the forgery, the top portion of the "5" in the numeral is angled slightly up in the forgery, and the shading line in the billhook is longer in the genuine.

The margins are wider in the forgery.

Scott 8 1m pink & gray

Genuine- Forgery

The "J" sign, the "northern lights" sign, the "facial feature" sign, and the "white dots/streaks-front "arms" " sign are all present.

In addition, the color is lighter for the forgery, and the shading line in the billhook is slightly thicker and longer in the genuine.

The genuine is 11 3/4, while the forgery is 11 1/4 perforation.

Scott 9 2m yellow green & gray

Genuine-Forgery

The "J" sign here is not definitive. But, the "northern lights" sign, the "facial feature" sign, and the "white dots/streaks-front "arms" " sign are all present.

In addition, the color is lighter for the forgery, the "2" is thicker in the forgery, and the first chain link on the right is incomplete in the forgery.

The margins are appear to be wider in the forgery.

Scott 10 3m light blue & gray

Genuine-Forgery

The "J" sign, the "northern lights" sign, the "facial feature" sign, and the "white dots/streaks-front "arms" " sign are all present.

In addition, the color is lighter and brighter for the forgery, the "3" is thicker and shorter in the forgery, and the first chain link on the right is incomplete in the forgery.

The margins are wider in the forgery.

Scott 12 10m light brown & gray

Genuine- Forgery

The "J" sign, the "northern lights" sign, the "facial feature" sign, and the "white dots/streaks-front "arms" " sign are all present.

In addition, the color is lighter for the forgery, and the first chain link on the right is incomplete in the forgery.

The margins are wider in the forgery.

Deep Blue

Deep Blue and Karelia

Deep Blue (Steiner) has Karelia on one page. I printed out another page copy for the forgeries.

1922 Karelia Scott 15 25m yellow & blue "Bear"; Genuine

Big Blue

Big Blue '69, has "Karelia" on one line of one page. The "Karelia" entry is present in all '41- '97 editions.

Karelia is represented by six spaces for the 5p- 50p denominations. No Markka denominations are given a space.

10 comments:

All in all the Karelia related stamps (Karjala, Itä-Karjala, Aunus) relates to "nationalistic movement" before (and during) the 2nd world war. Their goal ws to unite Finn-related nations and create 'grand Finland' (of mythic Kalevala). Here's a link to (Google translated)article that shows how 'grand' their scheme was. If it would have come true, Finland would be one of the largest countries in Europe.

JimExcellent overall article and coverage on the history, the stamps and the numerous forgeries of this obscure (sorry Keijo) would be country. I think when I get to this aspect of Karelia I will just link to your site instead of writing anything up. :)Michael

I feel that the easiest genuine feature to use is that, overall, the letters of KARJALA are of uniform thickness with sharper corners (also noted by Jay Smith). This is particularly noticeable when comparing the centers and ends of the "A"s. While the forgeries look like late prints with filling of the letters, with only 15,000 to 20,000 printed of each value, I think it is doubtful that there was more than one printing. If assumed/guessed to be printed in sheets of 100, that’s only 150 to 200 sheets of each; not many at all.

I also add in comparing side-by-side images that the forgeries (apparently only the one type known so far) are not quite as tall as the genuine.

Yes, the letters in KARJALA are often more ragged in the forgeries. That is a good first screen. But it is best to use all the clues - take a look at the 2m genuine-forgery scan I have; the "J" sign is not definitive.

And thanks for pointing out that the forgeries are not as tall - especially useful for a forgery-genuine comparison.

In April of 2017, we found ourselves in sub-arctic Finland near the Russian border. More specifically, we were in the region where the Republic of Karelia had once existed. Although it was mid-April, our position in "Karelia" was very much locked into mid-winter weather (e.g. deep snow cover with light to moderate snow falling, and -3 degrees C. Our goal was not looking for stamps that day, but we were hoping to see a wolverine. After spending many long hours in a hide peering into the deep woods of the Finnish (Karelian) taiga, we finally did see a magnificent, near mythical Wolverine bound through the snow for a few brief minutes. If we had been there a couple of weeks later, we probably would have seen a bear (or a Bear Stamp?) as well.

In fact, you write so well that it invoke my enthusiasm to share some of my personal travel stories on some of these off the beaten path destinations. BTW, I am learning quite a bit from your superb tips on detecting stamp forgeries as well as other juicy tidbits.